A reclosable thermoplastic pouch can be used to store a wide variety of contents, including liquid contents that can contaminate a closure mechanism disposed across an opening of the pouch. The environment in which the reclosable pouch is stored can also contribute to such contamination, which can cause the closure mechanism to become slick, slimy, or otherwise hard for a user to handle. In the past, there have been attempts to provide a gripping aid for a closure mechanism on a pouch to make it easier for a user to manipulate the closure mechanism when it is contaminated.
One such closure mechanism includes one or more ridges of material extending away from a surface thereof and running parallel to the length of the closure mechanism. Each ridge provides for an improved grasp by a user's finger in a direction perpendicular to the ridge. However, such a ridge provides little or no improvement of a user's grasp parallel thereto, especially when the closure mechanism is contaminated and slippery.
Another closure mechanism has a tamper evident tear away portion that seals a mouth of the pouch. Closure profiles are disposed on opposing interior surfaces of first and second pouch walls below the tear away portion. Exterior surfaces of the tear away portion include a line of cross-hatched embossing running parallel to the closure profiles to facilitate a user's grasp of the tear away portion. However, the cross-hatched embossing does not provide any benefit to the user after the tear away portion has been removed from the pouch. A line of perforation or scoring across a bottom of the tear away portion facilitates removal of the tear away portion from the pouch. The pouch also includes raised ridges on interior surfaces of the first and second pouch walls between the line of perforation and the closure profiles.
A further thermoplastic pouch is manufactured from wall material that is deeply embossed with rows of deformations. However, the pouch does not include a closure mechanism, but rather includes a drawstring that is disposed through a hem around a mouth of the pouch. The rows of deeply embossed deformations do not provide any help to a user trying to open the pouch.
The inventors of the present invention have identified that it would be desirable to provide a reclosable thermoplastic pouch with a closure mechanism that is enhanced in such a manner to improve the user's grasp on lips of the pouch to make it easier to open the closure mechanism. It is desirable that such an enhancement helps prevent a user's fingers from slipping in directions both perpendicular and parallel to the closure mechanism. It is further desirable that the enhanced closure mechanism is easy to manufacture, yet can provide an airtight seal.